Month: May 2017

Summer often feels like an emotional reset. We slow down and collectively catch our breaths, snatching a respite from the rat race. We pause from the frenetic pace of our daily lives in the seasonal shift, moving from the hurried speed of spring to the lazier, longer days of summer. […]

I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf. (Romans 15:30) In my Christian life, I have found that prayer is a difficult discipline. And I concur with others […]

Jesus. If he isn’t the epitome of good news for all humanity, hope is undoubtedly lost. Thankfully, our hope in the Savior is not misplaced or misguided, as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John record the life, death, and resurrection of the risen King of Kings so we, like those throughout […]

Microwaves. Instant downloads. Express lanes. Remote-start cars. We’re a culture that knows what we want—and we want it now. Feasting on entitlement and instant gratification, we hate delays in traffic, food service, and the Internet. My coworker says we live in a drive-thru society and because of that we’ve developed aversions to any […]

Why Do Churches Wound Their Pastors? (Dan Doriani, The Gospel Coalition) Why does the church freely, cruelly criticize its pastors for falling short of perfection? Why do we forget that Jesus alone is perfect, that Jesus alone redeems? Five things to pray after the Manchester attack (Rachel Jones, The Good Book Company) […]

“I have never been more mean in my life since being married,” I said to him. These words were not spewed in the midst of an argument or disagreement; rather, my husband and I were enjoying time together. I had been spending extra time in the Word seeking the Lord’s […]

There are times when I read God’s Word…and the words seem to fall flat. I’m hungry to hear from God, eager to meet him in my Bible—yet nothing jumps off the page or particularly moves my heart. This can feel like looking at a delicious meal, and wanting to enjoy it, […]

Question: Pastor Smith made a statement that “God only forgives the sins that we confess.” My question is in regard to the inference that the sins we do not confess are unforgiven. The problem I see is that we are all in trouble because no one can remember all of […]

Driving the Pennsylvania Turnpike can be rough, especially when you’re tired. The hills and farms all look the same, and it’s easy to get lulled to sleep by the endless pattern of signs: speed limit, exit, service plaza; speed limit, exit, service plaza. Many of us read Psalm 136 this […]

Embrace the Life You Have (Vaneetha Rendall Risner, Desiring God) So today, if you are feeling weary and disappointed about your life, allow yourself to grieve. To weep deeply. Six Things You Need to Know About God’s Wrath (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible) This theme of the wrath (or anger) of God toward […]

“But you, when you pray, go into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6) Almost everyone has a “special” place where they love to relax, engage in […]

As peace is a truth widely loved, wrath is a truth widely loathed. Many in the history of the church has been embarrassed by God’s wrath and have wanted to revise this biblical truth. Yet, this theme of the wrath (or anger) of God toward sin and sinners is clearly […]

The longest psalm, Psalm 119, is a masterpiece, and the subject of its artistry is God’s holy Word, the Bible. The Word of the Lord is like a tall tower—no part stands alone. All the prophets, all the books of wisdom, every book of the New Testament, and all the […]

To my youngest daughter, for Mother’s Day, Have I ever told you that I consider Mother’s Day a celebration of you more than me? When your older sister was made for heaven, and not for earth—taken there, graciously, before she was even born—I knew how dear to me were all […]

To the childless on Mother’s Day (Chelsea Patterson, The ERLC) As a childless woman, Mother’s Day can be a painful reminder of what I don’t have, and what I long for. Seven Things Church Members Should Say to Guests (Thom S. Rainer, LifeWay Pastors) Today, I am looking at a very basic […]

Hunger and thirst are frequent human urges. It’s immensely satisfying to eat a meal when starving or to drink of water when parched. Hunger is often used to convey a consuming desire, like a young and inexperienced sports team hungry for a win, or an individual who, after a string of failures, is hungry for success. The […]

Jacob limped forward and bowed again. It was hard to get up; his hip was still pained from the previous night’s struggle. With every step that brought him closer to his brother, he became more terrified. Last night, this fear caused him to send everyone else across the river and […]

Most Christians would agree that they want to memorize more Scripture. But for many, memorizing Scripture stops there—as a thought. It is harder to translate thought into reality when memorizing doesn’t come easily, you feel too busy, or past failures plague your memory. Last January, my small group of five […]

God is a God of miracles. Tumors miraculously disappear. A hardened criminal surrenders their life to Christ. A child declared “unfit for life” is born perfectly healthy. Hard-to-reach cultures are coming to Christ through divine intervention. Many of us likely haven’t seen a life-altering miracle outside the miraculous regeneration of […]

Stop Photobombing Jesus (Garrett Kell, The Gospel Coalition) Are you frustrated or discouraged when God “overlooks” you? Those are good times to re-evaluate why you follow Jesus. Satan Wields Ignorance of the Word as a Weapon (Kelly Needham, True Woman) Ignorance of the whole of God’s Word makes us easy targets in the […]

Happiness is fickle, and requires happy circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, sticks around. It doesn’t get chased off by trouble. The author of Lamentations describes how happiness disappears when turmoil enters the scene: My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is. (Lamentations 3:17) But the […]

Israel refused to enter the land. After years of wandering in the wilderness, and after freedom from slavery in Egypt, God’s people should’ve been thrilled to draw ever nearer to the land flowing with milk and honey, the land God had promised them. Finally to be home! Finally to be settled. […]

Video Notes: There are two sides to weeping with those who weep. The first is that there must be brothers and sisters in Christ who are ready to listen, ready to sit with the one who grieves and identify with their sorrow. But if this is to happen, the one […]